Kimiko Matsuda is a bright, sunny presence that radiates a  contagious positivity and warmth. A natural communicator and connector, she is a community engagement and PR specialist based in Portland, Oregon. "I’m often at the center of ideas, bringing businesses together to collaborate on projects," she shares with us, reflecting on her work.

Kimiko’s journey began in the corporate world, which is what brought her to Portland initially. After growing to love the city deeply for its small businesses and sense of community, she left her position to start Rose & Lincoln Juice, which quickly became a success. When the pandemic hit, Kimiko launched a program delivering healthy food and juices to frontline workers—an experience shifted her perspective, inspiring her to use her business platform to support others and give back to the community.

Since selling her juice company, Kimiko has immersed herself in various community initiatives, from city projects to small business partnerships. With her hands in numerous endeavors, including social media work in the food and beverage industry, she serves as a conduit for bringing people together and fostering community. We caught up with Kimiko at beautiful Han Oak, where we got a peek of what all is in her Ruffle Drawstring Pouch.

Hey Kimiko! So glad we get to catch up over lunch today.
First off: Tell us about your Ruffle Drawstring Pouch! Do you wear it every day? When do you use your bag?

I use this bag every single day! It carries all my smaller essentials, and when I’m carrying my work tote, I drop this bag into my tote.

How does this bag relate to your personality or work?

Yellow is a cheerful color, and it makes me feel happy to wear it. I have a sunny personality so I think it matches me. I just love the way the green beads of my phone chain looks with the yellow rectangle of the bag—it’s so graphic and fun. I often go from meetings to social things so I love that I can use this bag for anything. It makes me feel fashionable.

What’s in your bag? Can we have a peek? 

The flowers—they’re from Hilary Hovarth. I love to garden, and beautiful flowers that have just been handpicked is Hilary’s specialty. The beads are from Superette Shop, which is a local shop. It makes it easy to find my keys, and
I love the color. And then—I LOVE nostalgic candy. These are candies from childhood—Lemonheads. I used to own a juice bar, so anything fruit-related is my fun treat. Banana keychain—when I had my juice bar, this was the key! And here’s my L Zip Wallet. It holds my cards, a little bit of cash, and coins.

My glasses, from Peepers; I can’t see anything without them. They’re my signature accessory.

Because I take a lot of photos for Instagram, I always have the light, just in case. I currently toggle seven instagram accounts, for work—which means I also need a mobile charger. It’s from Clutch. This past Christmas I bought one for each member of my family.

Then, this paper, where I’ve written down the work that I do. I freelance, so when people ask me about how I got a client, or why I do this work, I almost always say these things.

Cloud Forest Chocolate: I think it’s a representation of Portland. Somebody who’s just obsessed with chocolate, and makes a beautiful product, but then thinks about the packaging, the color, the graphic. Then—everybody needs a pen—mine is always Papermate. I’m left-handed, and I kind of need a felt-tip.

And these are maps that highlight my favorite shops in the West End of Downtown Portland. People ask me, “where should I shop, where should I eat?” So I hired a friend of mine to do the illustrations, and on the inside, there’s a beautiful map. It’s just something I made ... we had it riso-printed at Outlet PDX.

My lipstick; it says, “Kimiko, Queen of PDX.” And Kombucha. I love tea, so knowing that if it tastes more like tea and less like fermentation, I’m all about it. And I think the packaging is beautiful.

If someone found your bag and looked inside, what would they think of you?

She has good taste ;) She knows how to find cool things. She is also someone who carries sweet tokens of joy for their own personal enjoyment—so many. Someone who has love for themself? And with my phone, charger and light, you could probably conclude that I love to take photos.

What’s the most important item you carry in your bag?

My glasses, LOL—but really, it’s my mantras! I look at them before I go into any meeting with a client; it centers my intentions.

What’s the strangest item you’ve carried in your bag?

A banana. Like an actual banana!

Anything you’re working on currently that you’re excited about?

Currently I am working to find ways to have Portland be mentioned (in the world) as a place where you can discover something new, a place that can surprise you!